A smorgasbord of pasta toppings will please the children, and make your job easier, too.

EASE OF PREPARATION: Easy

1. Put cheese, tomatoes, Canadian bacon strips and olives in separate small bowls.
2. Place 1 cup squash cubes in a glass dish and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon water; cover with plastic wrap and microwave on high for 4 to 5 minutes.
3. Cook up a sturdy pasta shape kids find amusing--bow ties, wheels, fusilli--and cook enough of it for the whole family.
4. When all is ready, spoon a healthy serving of pasta onto their plates, but then let them pick their choice of ingredients from the little bowls. Children are more willing to eat something if they feel that they have had a hand (literally) in choosing it.